Albus' Departure
by Angel From Above Is Here
Summary: Minerva talks to Harry after Albus is forced the leave Hogwarts. The young man is feeling guitly and she wants to change that. Fortunately, she succeeds. She also visits Aberforth and goes to Grimmauld Place. There, Remus suggests an interesting way to alleviate the stress. Sirius and Minerva decide to try it out. Number 5 in my Sirius and Minerva universe!


**Albus' Departure**

Minerva's heels click loudly on the floor as she leads Harry through the corridors. She knows he's very capable of making his way to the Gryffindor common room after nearly five full years, but that under normal circumstances. These are anything but, however, and she doesn't want Harry to get into any more trouble.

And the look on the young man's face tells her he needs someone to talk to. It was obvious to her when Albus left that Harry had wanted to speak to him, but she hopes she will be a sufficient substitute. After all, Sirius isn't here and it won't be safe for a while to contact him, let alone see him.

As soon as she's sure they're far enough away from Dolores not to be noticed, she grabs Harry's hand and drags him into an empty classroom. Despite the fact he's undoubtedly surprised, Harry stays silent. She breathes a sigh of relief; a struggle or possible argument is the last thing either one of them needs right now.

"Have a seat," she tells Harry, gesturing towards one of the tables. She pulls up a chair for herself as he obeys her order.

The raven-haired youth stays silent as she sits down as well, his green eyes boring into hers. There is anger there, but also sadness, pain and guilt. She knows some, if not most, of those emotions are mirrored in her own eyes. But she is older, can deal with them on her own. She's had far more experience with that.

"Tell me what's going through your mind, Harry," she gently pushes when he makes no move to ask about why they're there or to speak in general.

The silence between them lingers on for a few minutes after that, but it isn't uncomfortable. It gives her the time to prepare a little for whatever it is that is to come and Harry needs to find the right words.

"It's my fault professor Dumbledore's gone. I shouldn't have founded Dumbledore's Army, I should have paid more attention to the people joining when I founded it and I shouldn't have let him take the fall just now," Harry eventually says.

So the guilt is the first emotion they'll be dealing with, then. It doesn't surprise her; Harry's always shouldering the blame for everything, even when he shouldn't be. She places her hand on his knee to draw his attention to her completely before she starts to speak, wanting to make sure he hears every word.

"Dolores Jane Umbridge is the only one to blame, Harry. She's been looking for a way to drive Albus from the castle since she got the job of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. If she hadn't been given this possibility, she would have found another. You're not to blame, darling. She is," Minerva says.

Only belatedly does she realise she's used a pet name for Harry for the first time. Upon seeing a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth, she smiles too. The fear of having overstepped some lines is gone now, and she thinks perhaps he's been ready to let her take that step than she has been to take it.

"Yeah, be that as it may, it still doesn't make me feel less guilty. The school has lost its Headmaster, the students have lost a protector and you've lost your best friend, Minerva. How can I not feel guilty for all of that?" Harry asks her, and for a second she's surprised at how easily he's spotted the very reasons for her own distress.

"I understand why you're feeling guilty, Harry. But trust me, Al bus would have been out of here soon anyway. Dolores had been gathering information left and right, had been making plans to discredit him by using his previous actions against him. This was just a slightly faster way," she says.

It won't take away his guilt, but the truth will get her farther with Harry then a lie ever could. And if there's one thing she hates, it's lying. She's been through a war and has seen firsthand what lies can do.

"Thanks, Minerva. I really needed to hear that. But are you sure you'll manage without professor Dumbledore , you and the other teachers?" he asks.

Minerva is touched by his concern, so she takes his hand in hers and squeezes gently. He surprises her by tentatively opening his arms and putting them around her, hugging her for the second time since she began her relationship with Sirius. She hugs him back, still a little insecure in doing that but feeling elated that she can at the same time.

"It won't be the first time I've gone without seeing Albus for a while, Harry. We fought in a war before and we couldn't exactly stand beside one another then. I know I can fight alongside him without him there. So do the other teachers, as some of them fought back then too and those who didn't are intelligent enough to get it anyway. So don't worry about us. We'll be fine," she assures Harry as she lets go of him.

"All right then, I won't," Harry promises upon seeing her face. It makes her heart beat a little slower. He'll be fine, she's sure of that now, even if she knows it'll take a while for him to move past this.

She gets up, and Harry follows her example. They're bot silent as they finish their walk to Gryffindor Tower; there's no need for more words. They don't even say goodbye. Instead, Minerva gently squeezes Harry's hand once more and he nods his head almost imperceptibly, hidden from the Fat Lady because Harry's body is blocking the portrait's view.

But Minerva doesn't return to her own chambers. She needs to do a few things before the night is out and Dolores can put her own plans into action. And to do that, she will have to leave the castle.

So she makes her way down the stairs. To anyone who might see her, it will look as if she's heading to the kitchens or planning to take a walk around the castle grounds; she's known to both of those things, so it won't raise suspicions. Not even Dolores will think anything of it; Dolores will be convinced Minerva won't have the strength to stand up to her with Albus gone. But she's very wrong about that.

Minerva transforms into her Animagus form as soon as she's pushed to oaken front doors open to make enough room for the tabby cat to move through. Stealthily, she runs over stones and then grass on her way to the gates of the school. Even in her Animagus form her magical signature will be recognised and she'll be able to pass through the bars. She wouldn't be able to squeeze through as a woman, but the cat can do it effortlessly.

Soon enough, she's on her way to the Hog's Head Inn. It'll only be her first stop of the evening, whether her conversation with Aberforth goes well or not. She's hoping for the former but expecting the latter, to be honest. But she can deal with Aberforth; if she can deal with Albus and Sirius, then everyone else is easy to handle.

Pushing that thought to the back of her head, she turns yet another corner and sees the building she's headed towards. She transforms into her normal form now, not missing a step as she continues her walk towards the door.

"It's a little late to still be out, don't you think?" Aberforth says as she makes to knock. She spins around, but not because he startled her. She's used to him knowing she's there before she's made her presence known; Aberforth is far more powerful than anyone ever gives him credit for and they're friends of sorts despite his dislike of her best friend.

"Not today it isn't," she tells him, her words sounding even harsher than she intended in the darkness that surrounds them.

Aberforth doesn't speak but gestures for her to enter. She does as she's told and goes to stand by the bar, leaning one elbow onto it. As soon as Aberforth joins her and sits down on one of the bar seats, she explains what happened.

"It was bound to happened sooner or later. Serves him right for thinking he's better than the rest of us," Aberforth snorts. Minerva feels her anger rise, but she pushes it back down instantly; she isn't here to argue. And he has a point with that first sentence, she grudgingly has to admit.

"Indeed it was. Now, since Dolores is now in control, do you think I could use your Floo connection? I don't want to risk her knowing where I'm going," she explains, knowing Aberforth will understand. After all, he was part of the original Order of the Phoenix and knows the organization has been revived, even if he isn't a member this time around.

Aberforth picks up a glass from behind the bar and fills it with water before replying. In the way he moves she sees the barman she saw that time Pomona, who is more adventures than most give her credit for, dragged her to this particular inn right before Minerva graduated.

"You don't have to ask that anymore; my wards have been set to let you through and you know your way around the place," he smirks. It's true; Minerva has spent many a night here with and without Albus and she frequents the bar even now, of course with Pomona in tow. And without Rosmerta knowing; the woman would have a heart attack if she ever found out.

She smirks back, turns around and picks up the small box of Floo Powder Aberforth keeps in the cupboard beside the fireplace. She makes a mental note to herself to bring some more the next time she stops by when she sees how little of it there's left. She'll have to slip it in there without Aberforth knowing, but she's sure she'll be able to distract him long enough to accomplish that task.

When Aberforth sees she's ready to leave, he exits the room. It's both a sign of good will and his none-existent desire to know what the new address for the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is. She shakes her head as she throw a pinch of the power into the fireplace at last.

"Grimmauld Place," she intones as soon as the flames turn green and she has stepped into them.

After about half a minute of turning, she finds herself in the fireplace in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. She steps out of it, dusting herself of and looking around. No one's there, so she quickly makes her way to the living room. She needs to talk to someone, preferable Sirius, and she hopes to find someone there.

She's in luck; Sirius, Remus, Molly and Arthur are all there. Sirius is carelessly draped over a chair with his eyes closed. Remus is reading on the couch beside him. Molly and Arthur are having a hushed conversation, most likely about one or more of their children.

She steps into the room as quietly as her feline form would have done. It's not intentional, it's simply a habit she's developed. Sirius is the first one to notice her despite being the only one to have his eyes closed.

"It's happened, hasn't it?" he asks. Remus nearly drops his book as he looks up; his lycanthropy should have alerted him to her arrival before, but he was too lost in his book to pay attention. Molly and Arthur fall silent and their eyes widen when they see who's standing in the doorway.

"Yeah. The toad's gone and made sure we're on our own from now on," she says, rubbing her temples as she speaks.

Sirius is by her side in an instant, guiding her down onto the chair he has just vacated. He lets go of her quickly, probably because no one knows about their relationship. But she would have liked for him to hold on to her hand just a little longer.

"He'll be back before you know it, Minerva. Even the Chambers of Secrets being opened couldn't keep him away, what makes you think Dolores will be more successful?" Remus says, settling on the side of the couch closest to her now.

Arthur and Molly sit down beside Remus. Sirius, however, settles on the floor in front of her. Minerva realises he's trying to be as close as possible to her without attracting any attention, as Arthur and Molly don't know they're together. She imperceptibly taps her foot against his knee to let him know she gets it. He pushes back to tell her he understands too.

"I know he won't be gone forever. It just isn't the same without him there. I'm afraid we won't be able to keep Dolores at bay anymore now that he's gone, that our biggest weapon has just been taken away from us," she admits.

"You're just as big a weapon as Albus was, Minerva. Don't you ever think anything less of yourself. If it weren't for you, I'd fear for my children. Now, I can safely say I'm sure they'll be fine in the end," Molly tells her.

Arthur nods his agreement, his eyes showing nothing but conviction. Somehow it feels wrong; she isn't sure of herself while everybody is so certain she'll be able to protect the children, it's as if the world has been turned upside down.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me to know you think me so capable," she eventually says, unsure there are any words that are more appropriate even though she doesn't feel like these belong here.

Remus and Sirius seem to guess what's going on inside her, as they are both looking at her intently. Arthur picks up on it a second later, which she thanks her lucky stars for, as Molly is totally oblivious for once. But in light of the fact there's a war about to break lose, she can forgive the mother of seven for that without any trouble.

"Well, we should be heading to bed. I have a night shift tomorrow so I want to get as much rest as I can and Molly will have a full house tomorrow, what with Sirius, Remus, Tonks and Severus all planning on stopping by," Arthur finally says, guiding his wife off of the seat and out of the door.

Remus also gets up. Before Minerva has had the time to register that, he's already picked up his cloak and is bestowing a one-armed hug on Sirius. He then hugs her as well, although he's more gentle with her and uses both of his arms. She barely keeps from sniggering at his good manners.

"You know, Minerva, perhaps you should take a bath here so you can relax a little before facing Dolores once more. There aren't any teachers or colleagues here to disturb you, after all," Remus says when he lets go of her.

Before she can say anything, he's left the room. Sirius and she are the only ones left, and Sirius immediately crosses the distance between them. He buries his face in her neck as he pulls her flush against him and she chuckles at his antics. When he moves, she captures his lips in a proper kiss.

"I think Arthur is onto us," Sirius admits when they break apart. "He's been telling me I sulk whenever you aren't around, that you're the only thing that can brighten my mood these days. He never does it when anyone else is around," he quickly ads, as if suspecting she might not like this.

She kisses him once more before speaking, guiding his hands to her waist and resting her own against his chest. Sirius begins to draw a meaningless pattern along her ribcage, which for some reason calms her down even more.

"We knew we wouldn't be able to hide this forever. Be grateful that it was Arthur who found out first, apart from Remus; he won't tell anyone. Nymphadora or Molly would have been much worse, let alone Alastor. They would have let everyone else know straight away," she laughs lowly.

Sirius lets out a barking laugh as well, which tells her exactly how grateful he is that she's all right with his best friend knowing. She knows he's been impatiently waiting to tell everyone, that even his best friend knowing hasn't been enough lately. He's been unhappy for a long time, and now that he's happy again he wants the whole world to know.

"We'll tell the other soon, too," she promises. She's been growing more and more comfortable with the idea since the fight they had and Remus finding out about them. They were lucky none of the others were there to see what happened, else they'd have been found out a while before.

Sirius doesn't speak but picks her up and spins her around. She let her hands come to rest on his shoulders and giggles like a little girl until he puts her back on the ground. Her heart's about to explode with the joy it brings her to be able to make Sirius laugh and enjoy life again.

"You know, Remus had a point. The bathrooms here are very spacious and no one will come knocking and disturb you. Or us, if you'd like," Sirius murmurs into her ear before taking a step back.

He's given her space to make her decision without feeling pressured, she realises. She doesn't need the space, so she moves closer once more and considers the possibilities in the circle of his arms.

At one hand, her colleagues and students need her. Staying here to take a bath means she won't be there to protect the youngsters from harm for a while longer, especially if she does that with Sirius.

On the other hand, she would really like to relax for a change; she has knots in her muscles that are threatening to become permanent, her heart is always beating too fast these days because she worries so much. Perhaps spending some time in her partner's arms while submerged in hot water is exactly what she needs.

Albus would tell her to do it. But she's nervous; Sirius hasn't seen her naked yet, and she isn't a young woman anymore. Perhaps she should wait to take a risk like this until her life is less of an emotional rollercoaster again? Then again, she feels sure of her relationship with Sirius, she's confident he loves her for more than her looks.

"Let's go to the bathroom then," she whispers, walking them both to the door. A long time has passed since she's last done this, but unlike then she knew how to play this game. However, she also finds she enjoys the freedom it brings, not having to hide beneath her robes anymore.

Sirius takes the lead once they step into the hallway, tugging her up three flights of stairs instead of going to the bathroom on the first floor. No one uses this floor, so Minerva understands his reasoning.

Once inside, Sirius stops. Minerva kisses him softly and turns around to let the water run. She adds some soap to the water and soon the entire room smells like lavender. Sirius doesn't comment on it, and she knows it's because no one will know they smell the same. Besides, Sirius usually throws in whatever soap he comes across first, which means no one will think anything of it when he smells like lavender.

Slowly, she begins to untie and unbutton her robes. There aren't as many layers to get rid of, but she takes her time with them. Sirius does the same as he undresses, unveiling an even larger number of tattoos than she has so far guessed he had based on the outlines that are usually visible above his shirt or robe.

She traces one of them, unsure what it means and at the same time not wanting to find out. Those days Sirius spent in prison were his darkest, and she won't drag them up without good reason.

Sirius in turn traces her ribs. He kisses her so softly, with such tenderness, that her knees go week enough for her to need to close her fingers around his right wrist to prevent herself from fallen.

"You're gorgeous," he tells her, and his voice is so honest she can't bring herself to deny it. Therefore, she takes his hand in hers once more and guides them both into the tub.

As soon as she's comfortably installed, her back to Sirius's chest, her partner begins to knead away the tension in her neck. It surprises her, but it's such an utterly divine feeling she can't help but purr. That makes Sirius laugh. She halfheartedly swats at him but then relaxes again; this is exactly what she needs. Sometimes she thinks Sirius must have mastered Legilimency, because he seems to know what she needs before she does.

"Hand me the soap, will you?" Sirius asks her when the knots have all but disappeared from her muscles.

She does as she is told and hums when Sirius washes her back and arms. He's so gentle with her that she feels a little like a porcelain doll. In any other case she would comment on it, but she refrains from doing that now. Life is too difficult to go looking for more trouble at the moment.

She barely manages to hide her surprise when Sirius turns her around and starts washing her chest as well. He doesn't miss a single patch of skin, and he works his way down across her legs and to her feet. If she weren't so bloody tired she'd be responding to his touches a lot more actively. As it is, she simply reaches for the soap, pours some into her hands and slowly traces patterns across his skin as she returns the favour. The low hum that courses through him makes her aware of his gratitude.

Sirius then surprises Minerva again, this time by picking up a bottle of shampoo. He hands it over to her, and when she smells the content her nose fills with the smell of freshly picked roses.

"I know how much you like roses, so when Molly mentioned this particular brand of shampoo I asked Remus to pick up a bottle. The cheeky devil knew damn well why I wanted it and he made sure I knew. But he brought it over a few days ago anyway," Sirius explains.

Then, he helps her wet her hair and washes it for her. He moves through the greying ebony tresses with easy, as if he does this every day. And a large part of her wants this to be a daily occurrence, a daily amount of time to enjoy each other's company. But that'll have to wait the tiniest bit longer.

When she makes to return the favour after Sirius finishes, he shakes his head. For a second she's confused, but then he kisses her and she simply lets him help her out of the bathtub. Immediately, he wraps a soft towel around her and begins to dry her.

"I wish you could stay. That way I could hold you all night and make sure you sleep. But I know you have to go back soon," Sirius murmurs as he wipes the water of her lower back. There is genuine regret in his voice, but also love and devotion.

"Yeah, you're right. I canna stay," she confirms, her Scottish brogue coming through because she's still angry at what Dolores had put her through today.

Sirius put his finger against her lips to prevent her from continuing, and she falls silent. He then opens the cupboard and extracts some clean underwear. Apparently, he's made this into "their" bathroom without her knowing. She likes the idea.

In record time, the both of them are dressed. Minerva checks her appearance one last time before she allows Sirius to lead her back downstairs; Dolores will no doubt have noticed she's gone by now, and it'll be risky enough as it is to pretend she's simply visited Albus' brother. If her clothes or hair look any differently than they usually do, she'll hang. But she finds her bun is as neat as ever and her clothes betray nothing of what's happened either.

"Will you come back soon?" Sirius asks. She knows he doesn't doubt her willingness to come, but her ability to do so now that Dolores has got rid of Albus.

"I'll come back as soon as possible. I'll find a way," she promises.

She wants to give him certainties, as he had too few off those, has had for almost fourteen years now. But she can't, and she refuses to make promises she can't keep. This one she will be able to keep, if only for the vagueness of it.

"I love you. I always will, too," Sirius murmurs, claiming her lips a last time. His grip on her tightens a little and she lets her fingers curl into his pyjama shirt to tell him how grateful she is for the love he's bestowing upon her.

"I love you too. And I'll never stop doing that either," she breathes when they break apart. The bright smile those three words bring to his face is enough to remind her of the fact she's the luckiest woman in the world.

And it's that thought that helps her settle down to sleep half an hour later, when she's tucked into her bed at Hogwarts. But it's not enough to stop her from wishing Sirius were there.


End file.
